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I haven’t even mentioned the splendid things Louise & Grace are doing! But I’m so proud of them!
65 Marnier St.
March 15
Dearest family one & all,
It was such a joy to have the round robin arrive last Sat. that I planned to share the delight immediately but things seem to have happened rather thick and fast that week and it has taken all my time and strength to meet each one as it came. The children and I get on very well – They are bright and happy tho’ Hal misses his Daddy more than I ever dreamed he would. Ellanor is more resourceful and [more] prudent. But I find that I spend much more time with then than I ever have and that with the business and certain details of Harry’s work added to my [ever] engagements take all the time I can find. This week when I had planned to enjoy the Lenten lectures at the 20th Century Club, the income tax which couldn’t be extended as Harry thought he had arranged had to be settled, but Mr. [Beals] our lawyer was simply fine to me and I had comparatively no trouble but it was the deciding factor in working my plans and I [surely] hope you will all agree that I am doing the wisest thing. Lucy had said all the time that I ought to rent this house furnished and altho’ I hated to do it I have decided it is the only wise thing. But instead of letting to go [some] let, I am offering it now and Mr. Austin is arranging to get the [Mause] in Strongsville for me or else a furnished house out there. The rents are so low – and I hope to get at least $50 or $55 for this house, the agents I have consulted set that price so I ought to make some real money, beside the rebate for our term of Ellanor’s school which I arranged for tentatively in the fall. – I know that you little Mother, you will think that I might come to Columbus, but I couldn’t keep the children there all summer and I have learned enough of our affairs these two months to be perfectly certain that if we go now, we can’t possibly go at Christmas-time, with the heavy expense we will have next winter to get through the world again. In Columbus or even Kelly’s Island which I have carefully considered as out of the question. And then Laura wrote about any reason why I can’t come here they are. Harry’s plans are really what have upset that, for I can’t figure any way by which he can get back before Sept. 1st and then he will have to come right here, but if we are as near as Springville he can spend a few days there and possibly commute for another week, but the days he would have to be in town and in that way get a little rest before he is submerged with new & accumulated work. Had he come home Aug. 15, I simply couldn’t have resisted giving him those two weeks at the seashore tho’ goodness knows how on earth we would ever have come out then and so it is probably providential that we spared the temptation. So much each Sat. night when I had to stop because Ellanor was coughing her head off, nothing serious, but both children have had just enough cold to make them cough at night and to keep them at home these past two rainy Sundays. Now it is Thurs noon & before I go to Lucy’s to dinner tonight I must finish this. Nothing especial has happened in regard to the house except that. I had my first applicant last night and turned him down this morning. If you could have seen him! A typical [promoter] in a magnificent overcoat, sealskin collar & fur lined but so common & so profane I wouldn’t have had him if I never rent. I couldn’t have afforded it for fortunately he was most communicative & “between the lines” I found out just how they would have treated everything in the place. Except these plans and Harry’s letters there’s very little other news. I’m so afraid you didn’t all receive the “Church at Works” with the typewritten sheet inside because no one has mentioned them. The postmaster told me to use 1 cent stamps I don’t think he knew his business. Today I’m going out to see Georgie Cutler Hodge who has been ill & had all sorts of family worries and then I’m going to a tea at Mrs. Will Danforth’s whose husband used to take us sailing at the Bay Beach that Pan-American summer 100 yrs ago. I had a dear letter from Emily Tues but she barely mentioned Edmund & I guess there is no especial change. I also had one from Aunt Lillie Hubbell expressing such unqualified approval of me that it took my breath away and I rushed it off to Harry (only because of the Williamstown news it contained) before I succumbed to the temptation to flaunt it in my critical mother-in-laws face – she thinks it perfectly simple & feasible for the children & me to stay here all summer by locking a gate across the sidewalk to keep the children in the yard! She didn’t see Ellanor climb to the top of the police alarm box at Elmswood & North Sts yesterday!! Now for a few extracts from Harry’s letters not given in the church paper – [I’m] reaching Paris after an all-night ride from Brest no sleepers or diner, he & some others climbed on top of the baggage on the army truck & had a most interesting ride out to Versailles where they lived for two or three days. “Finding it too inconvenient one of the men who had lived comfortably in the Latin quarter several years ago found rooms down there for some six or eight of us. But when he left for work in Italy & they doubled the rent of our room, I hopped a taxi bag & baggage for my office & that afternoon about five o’clock finally succeeded in getting away to hunt up a new hotel (some job with Paris so full as it is) finally settling at Hotel [Hiblon] Rue Chambeau Lagarde very near the Madeleine. There hasn’t been much time for sightseeing as I’ve been on the job at the office from 8:30 til five with half an hour off at lunch. However we have eat at the Duval, the Child’s of Paris & tablecloths. Once at the Hotel Continental & at the Hotel Petrograd, the YWCA hosters house, in many ways the nicest of all – after dinner one evening Miss Morrow from Pittsburg & I drifted down to the Place de la Concorde to the Crillon Hotel, the military headquarters in Paris during the Peace Conference & then at her suggestion went around to have a look at the Ritz. A perfectly wonderful orchestra was playing in the small ball-room and the music proved too entrancing so we found an out of the way corner and tried a few dances. “Gay Paree” is far from it now. ‘C’est la Guerre’ as the French put it. Streets dingy after dark, cafes etc all closed. The Ritz is the gayest [part] of life I’ve seen since arriving.” This letter ends “Love to all the family, especially Mother Kelton” & by coincidence was written just at the hour Mother was leaving us. Next follows the letter copied and then several short ones written on his trip & then this – “Arriving at Ils-Sur-Tille, a lovely place in the hills reminding me of Williamstown & called [earth Williams?], expecting I could settle down to real work, I found instead the telegram “Send Hubbell Dadcombe Vierzon” which necessitate any going to Gen. Pershing’s headquarters at Chammont for movement orders. There I enquired for Gen. Kilbourne but found that he had just left for Brest. There wasn’t much to see at the headquarters but I’m glad to have been there. There was a train for Vierzon at 6:40 – an American train with a colored porter in uniform, who go me a couple of blankets & as there was only one other passenger in my compartment I managed to rest pretty well. We were due at Vierzon at 5:40 a.m. but did not arrive til afternoon. A “Y” girl in a Ford hurried me to headquarters for a conference with Dr. Dadcombe who gave me movement orders for Gievres. Vierzon is an interesting little manufacturing town & as I arrived on market day it was still more interesting. At six next morning I was up and off again arriving at Gievres about 9. I told my story to Dr. Kershaw ((Do you suppose Mother that this can be Frank Kershaw. Ask Mrs. Lieser if you ever see her)) in less than 5 min & he asked “Are you ready for work” “that’s what I’ve been coming along for.” “All right get into that Ford if you are willing & speak at a meeting in one of the huts. One of our men is sick.” Well I was almost non-plussed but have resolved to take whatever comes so away we went & on the way I decided to use my talk on Peter which is in my precious notebook & they all seemed satisfied with what I had to say. There was a funeral of one of the Y girls this afternoon & to my surprise Albert Evans my seminary class-mate was officiating as he is head chaplain here. Tonight I speak at another meeting & tomorrow I’m going to have dinner with him at the Col’s mess….After dinner I spent the afternoon going about this great camp with “[Evy]” in an auto as he inspected the school building being erected & otherwise kept tab on the life of this great camp. Then he returned with me & we had a fine talk with Dr. Kershaw. They want me to forget the Paris proposition & settle down here where the need is so great. I will be here for four weeks anyway & will see what I can do as Director of Religion Work in the largest of the dozen or more huts here. I worked in today & think I’m going to be very comfortable & have plenty of chance for work. Time will show the results but it’s great to be here with “Evy.” The 2nd largest refrigerating plant in the world is located here this being the largest SOS (Service of Supply) station in France with about 200 warehouses & some 200 million dollars worth of goods on had, 60 mi. of [north] tracks & some 132 miles of trackage altogether. This is the last letter which came just this morning. “Here’s the end of another day and how shall I tell of you of the joyful evening I have had with my family! I knew it would come and hadn’t worried tho’ I enquired every time any mail arrived but tonight Dr. Kershaw arrived with a whole bundle, three from you, one from Ellanor, one from Mother, and one from Mr. Haas with the check for $100 stating that I was to use it as I saw fit” as a gift from the Men’s Club of the Church.” It was an absolute surprise! My, but those people are good to me! Fast what such a batch of mail means to a fellow who hasn’t had any since about the 12th & that dating back over a month! Well I was more than overjoyed. Also this is the first day in a long time that there has been no rain. It has been almost springlike & as I was obliged to take a long walk it was most enjoyable. If you could only have had the lark, I think it was, just fairly bubbling over with song! But I will have to tell you why I have not written of getting eagerly into my work. No, I am not sick, but a slight sore throat developed on the way here Sun – Mon. I went to the doctor just across the street here. He treated it Mon. and Tues. Tues night the voice became affected and he sent me to the specialist about two miles away who pronounced it “preacher’s sore-throat” and ordered me not to use it all for a while. This prevented my really pulling off the meeting scheduled as an “old fashioned sing” for that evening I have been going to him each day to be painted with – I think it is nitrate of silver, not pleasant but I hope to be able to use it by Sun. It surely is disappointing to have left Paris expecting to be out in the field for four weeks & then find myself at the end of about ten days with practically nothing done, but as the French say, “C’est la Guerre!” But don’t worry! I’m not suck and would not have mentioned it at all had I not thought you might be wondering at no more definite statements of my work (Letter Feb 28). [Fri a mon] Another letter written Mar 2nd has just come in which harry speaks of “leading the singing without singing and talking for a few minutes to some three for four hundred men.” Also of “the Bible & other discussional classes which he is conducting.” Now I must say good bye, family, dear. I’ll keep you posted about our plans. Devotedly, Ella.

A user of any image in this collection is solely responsible for determining any rights or restrictions associated with the use, obtaining permission from the rights holder when required, and paying fees necessary for a proposed use.